1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for use with hand-held hair dryers, and more particularly to a hair dryer mounting apparatus having an adjustable oscillating hair dryer holder that provides the user with a hands free hair drying accessory.
2. Description of Related Art
A hair dryer, also frequently called a blow dryer, is an electromechanical device designed to blow cool or hot air over wet or damp hair, in order to accelerate the evaporation of water particles and dry the hair. When using the hair dryer the user typically holds the hair dryer in one hand and a styling brush or hair spray in the other. By requiring the user to hold the hair dryer this method of use significantly limits the user's range of motion while the limitation of the remaining hand limits the user's hair styling options.
As a result of the limitations and disadvantages present with the use of a conventional handheld hair dryer, the background art reveals a number of attempts directed to providing mounting systems for handheld hair dryers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,370, issued to Lin et al. discloses a hair dryer stand for a handheld hair dryer that includes a base and a holder pivotally mounted to the base. The stand is adapted for mounting on a horizontal or vertical supporting surface and functions to simply hold the hair dyer in place. U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,805, issued to Pena, discloses a self supporting adjustable support stand for a portable hair dryer. The stand includes a base and a telescopically adjustable extension assembly for selective height adjustment, and elongated flexible connection, and a ring shaped holder for holding the hair dryer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,983, issued to Hofmann et al., discloses a hair dryer positioning system having a base and a bendable, shape retaining, dryer positioning arm terminating in a dryer cradle member.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,923, issued to Case, discloses a hair dryer holder for holding a hair dryer having a base and an adjustably extendable and retractable extension member attached to the base. The extension member terminates in a holding bracket comprising a generally horizontally disposed U-shaped member having a flexible strap extending across the open end thereof to hold the hair dryer with the aid of hook and loop fastening material. The device disclosed by Case, merely functions to hold the hair dryer in a fixed position, and thus exemplifies basic hair dryer mount/holder technology. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,695, issued to Sennott et al., discloses a hair dryer mount having a wall bracket extension arms, and a support that includes a strap which fits around the hair dryer. Other basic mounts and static hair dryer holders are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. No. 6,52,0467, issued to Holder, for a Hair Dryer Holder; U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,447, issued to Strecker, for a Blow Dryer Holding Device; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,090, issued to Hamilton, for a Hair Dryer Holder; Des. U.S. Pat. No. 313,341, issued to Gaboriault et al., for a Hair Dryer Holder. The references listed above are primarily designed to hold a hair dryer in a fixed position. This limitation has resulted in the commercial success and widespread use of such devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,313, issued to Gettleman, discloses a hands free hair dryer holder for holding a hair dryer while in use that may include a mechanism that automatically swings the hair dryer up and down while in use to prevent excessive heat at one spot on the hair.
Automatically swinging the hair dryer up and down, however, causes warm air to be directed up and down the user's body thereby making the user hot and/or uncomfortable.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a hair dyer holding apparatus adapted for holding hair dryers of various shapes and further adapted to selectively oscillate the hair dryer as desired by the user.